H*4675 Session 112 (1997-1998)
H*4675 Concurrent Resolution, By Harrison
Similar(H 4673)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO MEMORIALIZE THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO
AMEND THE UNITED STATES CODE TO PERMIT FULL CONCURRENT RECEIPT OF MILITARY
LONGEVITY RETIREMENT PAY AND SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY COMPENSATION
BENEFITS.
02/24/98 House Introduced HJ-7
02/24/98 House Referred to Committee on Invitations and Memorial
Resolutions HJ-7
03/12/98 House Committee report: Favorable Invitations and
Memorial Resolutions
03/17/98 House Adopted, sent to Senate HJ-35
03/18/98 Senate Introduced SJ-6
03/18/98 Senate Referred to Committee on General SJ-6
06/02/98 Senate Recalled from Committee on General SJ-17
06/03/98 Senate Adopted, returned to House with concurrence
RECALLED
June 2, 1998
H. 4675
Introduced by Rep. Harrison
S. Printed 6/2/98--S.
Read the first time March 18, 1998.
A CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
TO MEMORIALIZE THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
TO AMEND THE UNITED STATES CODE TO PERMIT FULL
CONCURRENT RECEIPT OF MILITARY LONGEVITY
RETIREMENT PAY AND SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY
COMPENSATION BENEFITS.
Whereas, over six thousand six hundred thirty-three South
Carolinians have given their lives for their country in World War I,
World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, and the Persian
Gulf Conflict, and over forty-one thousand five hundred twenty-four
South Carolinians remain living with service-connected disabilities
from injuries inflicted on them while they were serving their country;
and
Whereas, those servicemen and servicewomen who have chosen to
make a career of defending their country are integral to the success
of our military forces throughout the world; and
Whereas, currently disabled veterans receive compensation
proportionate to the severity of their injuries; and military retirees,
who have served at least twenty years, accrue retirement pay based
on longevity; and
Whereas, federal legislation has been introduced to amend Title 38
of the United States Code to eliminate an antiquated inequity which
still exists in the federal law applicable to retired career service
personnel who also receive service-related disability benefits; and
Whereas, under the nineteenth century law, these disabled career
service personnel are denied concurrent receipt of full retirement pay
and disability compensation benefits; and they must choose receipt
of one or the other or waive an amount of retirement pay equal to the
amount of disability compensation benefits; and
Whereas, this discrimination unfairly denies disabled military retirees
the longevity pay they have earned by their years of devoted
patriotism and loyalty to their country; and, in effect, requires them
to pay for their own disability compensation benefits; and
Whereas, many retirees in South Carolina and across the nation, were
recalled and actually returned to active duty for service in Operation
Desert Storm and returned home disabled; but, when these loyal
guardsmen and reservists arrived back home, they were not eligible
to receive both Veterans Administration disability and retirement
pay; and
Whereas no such inequity applies to retired Congress-persons, federal
civil service job-holders, or other retirees who are receiving
service-related disability benefits; and
Whereas, America's career service-personnel's commitment to their
country, in pursuit of national and international goals, must be
matched by their own country's allegiance to them for those
sacrifices; and
Whereas, a statutory change is required to correct this injustice.
Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate
concurring:
That the members of the General Assembly of the State of South
Carolina urge the Congress of the United States to amend the United
States Code relating to the computation of retired pay to permit full
concurrent receipt of military longevity retired pay and
service-connected disability compensation benefits.
Be it further resolved that certified copies of this resolution be
forwarded to the presiding officers and the majority and minority
leaders of both houses of the Congress of the United States, to the
Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives
of the Congress of the United States, to the President of the United
States, to the Secretary of Defense, and to each member of the South
Carolina Congressional Delegation.
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